Electric sign.



A. G. MEYER.

ELECTRIC SIGN. APPLICATION FILED 0'r.23,1s12.

1,094,083. Patented Apr. 21, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l, f g???) 17.5.

vvwmassssr I ENTOR: 54km. QZ Z G A. O. MEYER.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED 001223. 1912v Patented Apr. 521, 191 i I 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2 WITNESSES! W5 BMW 01pm 11M INVENTORI insulated from D STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

I ALBERT C. MEYER, 0F SAN'DIEGO CALIFOBNI A. j

ELECTRIC srem Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 23, 1912. Serial No. 727,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT C. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signs, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to electric signs, and some of the objects of my improvement are, simplicity of construction and operation, attractiveness and advertising efliciency, comparative inexpensiveness of operation and maintenance, and facility of 'changing the advertising matter. These and other objects I attain by means of the mechanism and apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a front elevatlon, a part of the terminal plate door being broken away; Fig. a vertical section on the line C- D of Fig. l and a diagrammatic representation of the sign and the lamp circuits; Fig. 3, an

end elevation, on a larger scale than Fig. 1;

and, Fig. 4.- is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line A-B of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. v

A case, 1, and a sign; 2, constitute the principal parts of the structure. The sign 2 is shown only diagrammatically, since it is of Well known construction, having its face, or faces, thickly ibestudded with incandescent electric lamps.

The flasher and sign changer apparatus is housed in and attached to the case 1. This case comprises preferably a rectangular, shallow box, which may be set upon the floor in a room or secured to awall. I prefer'to' secure it to a wall of a room in proximity to a sign of the previously de' scribed construction placed on the outside of the building in View of the public.

A- terminal plate door or gate, 3, is hinged at one side of the case 1, as shown at 4 and 5, and is thus adapted to swing and be opened and closed. This door is formed of conducting material. or is lined on the inside-with a sheet of metal, hich may be the door proper.

Onthe inside of case 1, in a planeparallel to that-of the door 3 when closed, is mounted a plate, 6, of insulating material, and onthis plate are mounted yielding contact mem,

\ is provided with a lag,

' tically bers, 7, preferably consisting of flat, curve d,

springs,

mmol i to door 3. Over contact members 1 and getween them and door 3 is mounted a stencil, 8, formed of flexible sheet material preferably waxed with series of perforations, the form of sign characters The perforations 9 are so posited in the stencil sheet 8 that they are adapted to register with the contact members 7 and close an electric circuit wherever a stencil perforation occurs. T e stencil sheet joined, so as to form an endless web, and is thus adapted to travel between the door 3 and these contact members are adapted toyieldingly press against the terpaper, and formed' 9, arranged in 8 preferably has its ends.

and contacts 7 and repeat theseveral series of sign characters formed therein.

In t e upper portion of the case 1 is journaled horizontally a roller, 10, over which stencil sheet 8 is mounted, afterthe manner of a belt on a pulle and thus the roller 10 is adapted to move the stencil sheet along. Above roller 10 are preferably arranged short rollers, l1, 12, and 13, on a shaft, calculated to press upon stencil sheet 8 so as to attain ositive frictional contact with roller 10 and prevent slipping of the stencil sheet upon roller 10.

It will be seen, (Fig. 2), that the stencil sheet passes over roller 10 and descends near the rear wall of case 1 and may form folds, 14, in the bottom of the case, from which it may ascend toward and behind door. 3.

The roller 10 is driven by a suitableimotor,

. 15, placed preferably at the bottom of case 1 through the instrumentality of a sprocket chain or link belt, 16. At one end roller 10 clutch member, 17, and on its shaft is arranged acorresponding clutch me mber, 18, which in turn is provided with a sprocket wheel, '19, and a hub, 20. These last named parts are loosely and slidably mounted upon the shaft-of roller 10, and on the end of the shaft may be secured a collar, 21, to limitthe slidingmovement of the hub 20. By this means clutch 18 is adapted to engage and disengage roller 10. The motor=15 imparts constant rotary motion to belt 16 and clutch 18. 'Near the outer-end of hub 20 is formed an angular. groove adapted to receive the 2 of a shifter arm, 23. The arm extends fromarock shaft,24, mounted veron the end of case 1'in bearings, 25, 26;..and extending-downward to a position appr x a e y at th i l of. the left loo 1 hand edge of the door 3and plate 6. The bearing 26'is preferably bifurcated, and between its parts is keyed, on shaft 24, an arm, 2?, which extendsover the left-hand edge of stencil sheet 8, (Figs. 1 and 4:).

vAt the free end of arm 27 is mounted a finger, 28,- extending toward and adapted to rest'upon stencil sheet 8. Arm 27 and finger 28 are drawn yieldingly by'a tension spring, 29. Finger 28 is preferably insulatcd from arm 27 and electrically connected with door 3. l nder=the track of finger 28, on stencil sheet 8, in plate6, is placed a switch terminal, 30, which may be in the form of a contactplate and posited in contactual relation to the free end of finger 28.

In addition to the stencil perforations 9, comprising the sign characters, a control erforation, 31, is formed in the left-hand edge of the stencil sheet 8 in the track of the freeend of finger :28 and approximately at the middle of a series of sign perforations, for the purpose of controlling the movement of the stencil.

A lug, 32, is mounted upon belt 16, extending'outward at right angles; and the belt is arranged to travel over a support, 33, in the form of a block, which causes the belt to travel in a constant plane over the block. Upon the inner edge of arm 27 is secured a cam block, 34, with oppositely extending slanting surfaces underneath the ends.

It will now be seen that as belt 16 travels over its sprocket wheels, the forward portion moves upward and carries with it lug 32. lVhen the lug reaches cam block 31- it engages the lower slanting surface, moves the block outwardly and with it arm 27, and

as it Passes away from the blo k 31 unc er the opposite slanting surface, it allows arm 27 to yield to the pull of spring 29 and move back toward normal position. It will now be understood that when arm 27 is moved outwardly shaft 24 is rocked, shifter arm 23 shifts clutch member [18 into engagement with clutch member 17, roller l0'is rotated,

and stencil sheet 8 is drawn upward. By

the time finger 2S is\permitted to move toward normal position the stencil sheet 8 has moved upward such a distance that perforation 31 has. passed out of register with finger 28 and therefore the finger rests and rides upon the surface of thestencil sheet and clutch 17 18 is held inenga-geinent so long as this condition obtains, but when the stencil sheet 8 has moved upward till the next controlling perforation 31', opposite the next succeeding series of sign perforations, has come into register with finger 28,- the finger is drawn through-the perforation by spring 29,..clutch 17-18 is disengaged and the movement of the stencil is stopped. The stencil is thus stopped automatically in such a position that the contact members 7 regis ter with'the sign character perforations and the stencil remains in this position While lug 32 completes its circuit and returns again to raise arm 27. Contact plate 3Q is electrically connected with a main line wire, 35. Connected with the other main line wire, 36, are wires, 37, which extend through i the sign 2 to each of the contact members 7 in the flasher, and in the circuit of each of the wires 37.is placed one of the sign lamps, 38. It will now be understood that when finger 28 is in contact with plate 30 there is a closed circuit, as follows: wire 35, plate" 30, finger 2S, terminal plate door 3, COl'lttlClhlllElllbQI'S 7, lamps 38, wires 37, to wire 86. thisaneans those lamps connected with the contact members 7 which are in register with sign perforations are kept alight while the stencil sheet is standing still and finger 28 remains inthe control ,perforation, but as soon as the finger is lifted from the control perforation the lamps are all extinguished and remain so until the next succeeding sign stencil is in register. The interval of illumination of the sign is determined by the cycle of the lug 32.

It is obvious that the advertising matter of the signs may be changed easily by opening door 3, removing one stencil sheet and mounting another in the machine. It is not necessary to regulate the travel of the roller 1.0 or the relation of the stencil sheet with the peripheral surface of the roller to attain proper registry of the stencil, this is predetermined by the location of the perforation 31' when the sign stencil is formed, and it obvious that the stencil is not liable to slip out of register in the course of operation. The stencil material is con1paratively inexpensive and therefore the maintenance of operation cost is not great. i

I have thusalescribed and illustrated the preferable embodiment of my improvements, but I do not desire to be limited to the special construction illustrated and de-,

. scribed and contemplate changes within the 'purview of the appended claims. 9 "Having thus described my lIlVGIltl0l1,SO that anyone skilled in the art pertainin thereto may understand its construction an p 2 7 I claiin:' v

1. An electric sign flasher and changer, comprising a sign bestudded. with incandescent lamps, a terminal plate, an opposed series of contacts, a movablcv stencil travel-' ing between said terminal plate and cont acts and having sign-forming openings to permit the 'contactsto engagethe said ter minal plate therethrough, a shaft for movingthe stencil, means for driving the shaft, including a clutch, and means for controlling the clutch in one direction from the stencil and in the other direction from the said driving means.

2-. An electric sign flasher and changer, comprising a sign bestudded with incandescent lamps, a terminal plate, an opposed series of contacts, a movable stencil traveling between the contacts and terminal plate and having a control opening and sign forming openings, the latter permitting the contacts to engage the terminal plate there- 'lhrough, a shaft for moving the stencil, means ,fur driving. the shaft, including a cloth, a i'lutch shifting means having an operating arm controlled in. one direction by the ('tlilllUl opening in the stencil, and means on the shal'tdriving means for actuating the operating arm in the opposite direction.

3, An electric sign flasher and changer, comprising a sign bestudded with incandescent lamps, a terminal plate, an opposed series of contacts, a movable stencil traveling between the contacts and terminal plate and having a control-opening and signforming openings, the latter permitting the contacts to engage the terminal plate therethrough, a shaft for moving the stencil, means for driving said shaft, including a clutch, a clutch shiftin means having an operating arm to pass t irough and be controlled in one direction by the said control opening in the stencil, means for actuating the said operating arm in the opposite direction from the shalt driving means, a contact to register with the controLopem-og in the stencil, and a second contact on the said crating arm to engage the first named contact through said control opening for lighting the sign. when the operating arm is actuated to stop the stencil and for eXtinguishing the sign when the operating arm is actuated to start the stencil.

at. An electric, sign flasher and changer, comnrising a sign bestudded with incande nt lamps, a terminal plate, an insulating stencil movable relative to said terminal plate, a series of yielding contacts hearing on the stencil and held thereby from contact with said terminal plate until the movement of the stencil relative to the plate brings openings formed in the stencil into register with the contacts, means for moving said stencil plate, means for driving said moving means, a controlling device for connecting said moving means with the driving means, whereby the stencil may be moved intermittently, a device carried by the driving means for periodically engaging the controlling device, whereby said controlling device is shifted to start the stencil, and means including a stationary contact and a contact carried by the controlling device for extinguishing the sign when said controlling device is moved to start the stencil.

5. The combination with a terminal plate forming one terminal of a lighting circuit and yielding contacts forming the other terminal and in contactual relation with said plate, of a sheet stencil having a series of sign-forming openings and control perforations, one for each series of sign openings. an operating roller for the stencil sheet, 1

clutch members for actuating the roller, a drive belt for the shifting member of the f clutch, a lug on the belt, a rock shaft hav ing an arm for shifting the shiftable clutch member, and a second arm in the path of the said belt lug, an insulated finger extending from the said second arm towegister with any one of said control perforations and in electric connection with the terminal plate, and a contact in the path of the free end of said finger.

ALBERT C. MEYER. Witnesses:

.ABRAM B. Bowman, EDlITH M. MANWARING. 

